The Basics of Social Research
by Earl R. Babbie
7th Edition
Publisher: Cengage Learning
Book Details
| Print ISBN | 9781305503076 |
| eText ISBN | 9798214338118 |
| Publisher | Cengage Learning |
| Publishing Year | 2017 |
| Edition | 7th Edition |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 560 |
The Basics of Social Research, 7th Edition introduces college students and university students to the foundational principles of social scientific inquiry. As an introductory undergraduate textbook, it presents the primary methodologies required to plan, conduct, and analyze empirical research studies across academic environments.
Coverage begins by framing scientific paradigms alongside research ethics and the political aspects of social inquiry. Author Earl R. Babbie details primary empirical data collection approaches, including classical experimental design, web-based experiments, and natural experiments. The text further explains survey research methods, detailing questionnaire construction, self-administered questionnaires, telephone surveys, and online surveys. It also addresses qualitative field research procedures alongside formal evaluation research design.
To support classroom instruction and digital study environments, Cengage provides MindTap digital learning solutions created for the volume. The textbook aligns directly with introductory social research methods courses, serving instructors, college students, and university students.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Human Inquiry and Science
- • Learning Objectives
- • Introduction
- • Looking for Reality
- • The Foundations of Social Science
- • Some Dialectics of Social Research
- • Main Points
- • Key Terms
- • Proposing Social Research: Introduction
- • Review Questions
Chapter 2: Paradigms, Theory, and Research
- • Learning Objectives
- • Introduction
- • Some Social Science Paradigms
- • Two Logical Systems Revisited
- • Deductive Theory Construction
- • Inductive Theory Construction
- • The Links Between Theory and Research
- • The Importance of Theory in the “Real World”
- • Research Ethics and Theory
- • Main Points
- • Key Terms
- • Proposing Social Research: Theory
- • Review Questions
Chapter 3: The Ethics and Politics of Social Research
- • Learning Objectives
- • Introduction
- • Ethical Issues in Social Research
- • Two Ethical Controversies
- • The Politics of Social Research
- • Main Points
- • Key Terms
- • Proposing Social Research: Ethical Issues
- • Review Questions
Chapter 4: Research Design
- • Learning Objectives
- • Introduction
- • Three Purposes of Research
- • Idiographic Explanation
- • The Logic of Nomothetic Explanation
- • Necessary and Sufficient Causes
- • Units of Analysis
- • The Time Dimension
- • Mixed Modes
- • How to Design a Research Project
- • The Research Proposal
- • The Ethics of Research Design
- • Main Points
- • Key Terms
- • Proposing Social Research: Design
- • Review Questions
Chapter 5: Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Measurement
- • Learning Objectives
- • Introduction
- • Measuring Anything that Exists
- • Conceptualization
- • Definitions in Descriptive and Explanatory Studies
- • Operationalization Choices
- • Criteria of Measurement Quality
- • The Ethics of Measurement
- • Main Points
- • Key Terms
- • Proposing Social Research: Measurement
- • Review Questions
Chapter 6: Indexes, Scales, and Typologies
- • Learning Objectives
- • Introduction
- • Indexes versus Scales
- • Index Construction
- • Scale Construction
- • Typologies
- • Main points
- • Key Terms
- • Proposing Social Research: Composite Measures
- • Review Questions
Chapter 7: The Logic of Sampling
- • Learning Objectives
- • Introduction
- • A Brief History of Sampling
- • Nonprobability Sampling
- • The Logic and Techniques of Probability Sampling
- • Populations and Sampling Frames
- • Types of Sampling Designs
- • Multistage Cluster Sampling
- • Probability Sampling in Review
- • The Ethics of Sampling
- • Main Points
- • Key Terms
- • Proposing Social Research: Sampling
- • Review Questions
Chapter 8: Experiments
- • Learning Objectives
- • Introduction
- • Topics Appropriate for Experiments
- • The Classical Experiment
- • Selecting Subjects
- • Variations on Experimental Design
- • Examples of Experimentation
- • Web-Based Experiments
- • “Natural” Experiments
- • Strengths and Weaknesses of the Experimental Method
- • Ethics and Experiments
- • Main Points
- • Key Terms
- • Proposing Social Research: Experiments
- • Review Questions
Chapter 9: Survey Research
- • Learning Objectives
- • Introduction
- • Topics Appropriate for Survey Research
- • Guidelines for Asking Questions
- • Questionnaire Construction
- • Self-Administered Questionnaires
- • Interview Surveys
- • Telephone Surveys
- • Online Surveys
- • Mixed-Mode Surveys
- • Comparison of the Different Survey Methods
- • Strengths and Weaknesses of Survey Research
- • Secondary Analysis
- • Ethics and Survey Research
- • Main Points
- • Key Terms
- • Proposing Social Research: Survey Research
- • Review Questions
Chapter 10: Qualitative Field Research
- • Learning Objectives
- • Introduction
- • Topics Appropriate for Field Research
- • Special Considerations in Qualitative Field Research
- • Some Qualitative Field Research Paradigms
- • Conducting Qualitative Field Research
- • Strengths and Weaknesses of Qualitative Field Research
- • Ethics in Qualitative Field Research
- • Main Points
- • Key Terms
- • Proposing Social Research: Field Research
- • Review Questions
Chapter 11: Unobtrusive Research
- • Learning Objectives
- • Introduction
- • Content Analysis
- • Analyzing Existing Statistics
- • Comparative and Historical Research
- • Ethics and Unobtrusive Measures
- • Main Points
- • Key Terms
- • Proposing Social Research: Unobtrusive Measures
- • Review Questions
Chapter 12: Evaluation Research
- • Learning Objectives
- • Introduction
- • Topics Appropriate for Evaluation Research
- • Formulating the Problem: Issues of Measurement
- • Types of Evaluation Research Designs
- • Social Indicators Research
- • Ethics and Evaluation Research
- • Main Points
- • Key Terms
- • Proposing Social Research: Evaluation Research
- • Review Questions
Chapter 13: Qualitative Data Analysis
- • Learning Objectives
- • Introduction
- • Linking Theory and Analysis
- • Qualitative Data Processing
- • Computer Programs for Qualitative Data
- • The Qualitative Analysis of Quantitative Data
- • Evaluating the Quality of Qualitative Research
- • Ethics and Qualitative Data Analysis
- • Main Points
- • Key Terms
- • Proposing Social Research: Qualitative Data Analysis
- • Review Questions
Chapter 14: Quantitative Data Analysis
- • Learning Objectives
- • Introduction
- • Quantification of Data
- • Univariate Analysis
- • Subgroup Comparisons
- • Bivariate Analysis
- • Introduction to Multivariate Analysis
- • Sociological Diagnostics
- • Ethics and Quantitative Data Analysis
- • Main Points
- • Key Terms
- • Proposing Social Research: Quantitative Data Analysis
- • Review Questions
Chapter 15: Reading and Writing Social Research
- • Learning Objectives
- • Introduction
- • Reading Social Research
- • Writing Social Research
- • The Ethics of Reading and Writing Social Research
- • Main points
- • Key Terms
- • Proposing Social Research: Putting the Proposal Together
- • Review Questions
Chapter A: Using the Library
Chapter B: Random Numbers
Chapter C: Distribution of Chi Square
Chapter D: Normal Curve Areas
Chapter E: Estimated Sampling Error
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- The Basics of Social Research | Rent | 9781305503076
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